Not Just A Backstage Mom!

Each month on the BLOG, we feature an interview with one of our incredible volunteers. We have dedicated volunteers who have been with us for more than 20 years and some who have given of their time for less than two months. All are deeply appreciated and deserve a moment in the spotlight!

Nancy and her artistically-inclined daughter, Addisyn, after the opening performance of “Into the Woods Jr.”

This month’s Volunteer Spotlight features Nancy Tejada. For the last 20 years of her life, you could always find Nancy in the salon (currently Avila Bay Athletic Club), standing behind a chair working on her clients to make them feel beautiful and happy. Besides being a hairstylist, the last 10 years of her life have consisted of raising her two kids. One of her favorite jobs of all is volunteering at their school, Bellevue Santa Fe Charter School. Whether it’s running the Lunch Program, helping with the annual play, driving on field trips, helping out in class or organizing class parties… if she’s not in the salon, you can usually find her at school!

As a family, the Tejadas love being a part of their Portuguese community and wish there were more opportunities locally to be more involved. Nancy loves traveling with her family and seeing different parts of the world. They especially love the beach and, of course, theatre. If her daughter isn’t participating in a local play, you can usually find her (and Nancy!) traveling back and forth to LA for different auditions and workshops.

Nancy’s daughter, Addisyn (10), son, Linkin (8), her husband Mike, and Nancy love living in the moment and helping wherever and whenever they can.

They love being a part of the SLO REP family, Nancy working backstage and in the lobby and her daughter performing. And as a family, they all love watching the shows!

Volunteer Director, Lacey McNamara, asked Nancy a few questions about volunteering at SLO REP.

LM: What volunteer jobs have you had here at the Theatre?
NT: Hospitality (front door), bartender, and child wrangler backstage!

LM:  How long have you been volunteering here?
NT: About a year now.

LM: What got you started in volunteering?
NT: My daughter was in an ACT show! (Into the Woods, Jr. – Summer, 2017)

LM: What is your favorite part about volunteering?
NT: Meeting people. You meet so many people here.

LM: Do you volunteer at any other non-profit organizations?
NT: I’m the head of the volunteer lunch program at Bellevue called “Bellevue Lunch Bunch”.

ACT productions are fun for the WHOLE family!

LM: Do you have any words of wisdom or a bit of advice for someone thinking about volunteering at SLO REP or tips for someone who is coming in to volunteer for the first time?
NT: This is such a fun opportunity. You get to watch the shows from behind the scenes and get to meet some great people. Go for it!

Our volunteers are what keep SLO REP running smoothly. From painting sets to setting up the coffee bar, stuffing envelopes to organizing costumes, pouring wine and mixing martinis, the incredible volunteers who give their time to this theatre mean the world to us and to our patrons.

For more information about joining our volunteer crew, backstage or in the lobby, please visit our volunteer page, where you can find out more and sign up! 

Join Nancy in the lobby!

And don’t miss our ACT student production of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, opening Friday, January 11th!